After
several years flying model helis I was getting a little bored with throwing
it around the sky at great speed and wanted something different. So scale
was the way to go with so many skills required it was bound to be interesting.

There
are three main ways into scale helis :

1.Buy
a complete kit, which includes all scale parts as well as the mechanics.
(i.e.Hirobo Lama or JR Ergo Robinson R22).

2. Buy a pod and boom model, which is also designed for use in scale
fuselages (i.e. Vario or Graupner/Heim).

3.Buy
a fuselage and fit your chosen heli into it.

Option
1 is the simpler and cheaper one although there will be less choice of
models. Option 3 will require a higher degree of design and skill to build.
Option 2 is I think the best option as once you have the pod and boom
model you can fly it for some time to test and get used to it before putting
it into a fuselage also there are plenty of scale fuselages to choose
from.

Your
choice of subject for scale might be your local police helicopter or a
military helicopter or maybe one that you have seen on film, like the
Airwolf, or it could be one that you just like the shape of. Whatever
you choose remember that a full fuselage will always restrict access to
the mechanics where as models like the Robinson R22 or Hughes 300 will
be more accessible. This may not be a problem to you, but worth bearing
in mind.

Three,
four and five blade rotor heads can be fitted for more realism though
they are expensive and have different flying characteristics to the standard
two blade and flybar.

Also
available from Vario are models like the EC 135, which has an enclosed
(Fenestron) type tail rotor and the Notar which has no tail rotor but
uses vectored air instead.

Flying
a scale model is quite challenging and requires a great deal of accuracy
to make it look realistic. Smooth hovering, slow climb outs and circuits,
and nice 45 degree approaches are all part of scale flying. I prefer a
model which flies well and looks realistic in the air rather than one
which is accurate in every detail but is not flown due to the pilot being
afraid of a possible crash, maybe the pilot lacks the confidence or has
spent to long on all that detail!

Starting
next month I will take you through building the Graupner/Heim BO 105 as
pictured left.